Study Time: Heidegger and the Temporality of Education

In this article, the author argues that the question of educational time is absolutely essential in contemporary debates concerning the fate of the university. In order to examine the nature of educational time, this article first outlines Heidegger's distinction between temporality and Temporality. Second, the author makes a clarification between inauthentic and authentic learning as two forms of educational temporality. Here the article turns to the work of Hubert Dreyfus and Stuart Dreyfus on expert skill building versus standardised or generic forms of learning. When inauthentic and authentic forms of temporality are brought to light through this distinction, new ways of understanding the convergence and divergence of learning modes open up for critical reflection. Third, the article suggests that while differentiations internal to learning are critical in the struggle to define the nature of education, education cannot be reduced to its temporalising forms. At this point, the work of one of Heidegger's late students, Giorgio Agamben, becomes important for grounding the educational experience in Temporality through study (as distinct from learning). At stake here is carving out a time in education for enpresencing (the Temporality of the potential for something to appear) versus self‐projection through action (the authentic temporality of expert skill building). And finally, the article turns back to Hediegger in order to see the ethical limitations of too quickly collapsing education into learning—even if that learning is authentic.     

On-the-job Training for Engineers Using Hypertext

There is a pressing need for more efficient methods of delivering updated engineering information, especially in the workplace. Hypertext offers the author the ability to structure information in ways which are more flexible than conventional print media. The intention of presenting training material using hypertext is to develop an explorative attitude in the reader. The reader is encouraged to follow his/her own path through the material, with the option of following some topics to a greater depth than would normally be expected. Hypertext also provides a tightly integrated package of information, guidance, and often also the ability to execute programs or procedures described in the document. It can also provide concise support for experts as well as assistance—in the same document. This paper (i) outlines the concepts and facilities in typical hypertext implementations, (ii) describes the reactions that have been obtained in the use of an on-line code of practice (Australian Rainfall and Runoff), and (iii) offers some guidelines for structuring engineering documents for hypertext.     

Experiences of Two Problem-oriented Courses in Civil Engineering

Current engineering courses are not structured to develop real problem-solving skills in their students. They rely on a bottom-up approach to learning, where the first three years is spend mostly on theory, with almost no practice at problem definition. Instead, the students spend most of their time solving carefully designed exercises. Real-world problems are not as neatly packaged as these exercises, and, as a consequence, graduate engineers often lack the problem-definition and problem-recognition skills that are essential if the theory they have learned is to be useful to them. On the contrary, a problem-oriented course requires the students to develop those problem recognition skills. It also is intended to develop student-directed learning, and group and communication skills. A problem-oriented approach was used in 1991 in two second-year courses in civil engineering—surveying and computing. The courses were well received by the students, and the average exam result for surveying showed a noticeable improvement, while the average exam result for computing showed a marginal improvement. (There were, however, other encouraging signs in the computing course.) The author believes that the difference in response between the two subjects is due to the difference between working in groups and working individually, and a course change for the computing subject for 1992 is proposed.     

Student Reactions to a Problem-based,Fourth-year Computing Elective in Civil Engineering

Following a significant course review in civil engineering at Monash University, a fourth-year computing elective was introduced in 1995. The author developed the subject as a project-based one, the aim being to allow students to pursue their own computing interests. This paper describes how the subject was run, and documented the student responses. The subject is a good example of student-directed learning, and the enthusiasm and energy which flow from students having ownership of their learning. It also shows how a subject can use a wide range of learning resources, including the Internet, to provide positive outcomes for the department as well as the students. Improvements for the future are included.     

LEARNING TEST-WISENESS BY PROGRAMMED TEXTS1

High school seniors (84 males, 77 females) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group received a programmed text designed to teach Ss to answer every item on an examination, whether or not the directions included a penalty for incorrect answers. The other group was administered a programmed text to teach certain selected aspects of test-wiseness. Each group served as the control group for the other. The following day all Ss were administered a measure of willingness to guess and a measure of test-wiseness. Two weeks later, all Ss received additional measures of willingness to guess and test-wiseness. Analysis of the data indicated the group that received the guessing program answered significantly more items than its control group (on both the immediate and delayed tests), even though there was a penalty for incorrect answers. In similar fashion, the group exposed to the test-wiseness program achieved significantly higher mean test-wiseness scores than its control group.     

An Expert System Approach to Curriculum Development in Engineering Education

RÉSUMÉ

This paper focuses on demonstrating the feasibility of applying expert system methodology as a new approach for assisting the development of engineering degree curricula particularly in developing countries. A number of subdomains in which a rule-based system can be applied have been identified in the field of curriculum development. The subdomain developed and presented in this paper concerns methods of identifying curriculum content, and the major subgoal of developing a profile of ‘staff experience’ in this context is investigated in depth. Knowledge in this subdomain has been encapsulated in an expert system which has been refined to the satisfaction of a curriculum expert and tested by potential end-users of the system.

RÉSUMÉ On s'est concentré dans cet article sur une démonstration de la possibilité d'appliquer ks méthodes d'Intelligence Artificelle, au développement des programmes d' études pour la formation des ingénieurs au niveau de licence (surtout dans les pays en voie de developpement). On a identifié, dans le domaine du developpement des programmes d' études, plusieurs sous-domaines auxquels s'appliquerait un systeme d'Intelligence Artificielle à base de régies. Le sous-domaine qu'on presente ici concerne les methodes qu'on se sen pour déterminer le contenu des programmes d' études; en meme temps, un autre but majeur de nos recherches a été d'examiner à fond le profit d'experience du personnel enseignant en ce qui s'agit du développement des programmes d' études. On a encapsulé le savoir dans ce sous-domaine au moyen d'un système d'Intelligence Artificielle qui a ete mis au point à la satisfaction d'un expert en matières de programmes d' études et, qui a été, de plus, vérifié par des représentants de ceux qui, en toute probabilité, se serviront d'un tel système.     

Relationships of Leadership Style and Burnout to Counselors' Perceptions of their Jobs,Themselves, and their Clients

Professional burnout and factors related to the burnout phenomenon are issues that frequently appear in the current literature. Empirical studies to establish the relationships between perceived burnout and pertinent personal or organizational characteristics are difficult to find, however. This exploratory study sought to investigate relationships between counselors' felt degree of burnout and their perceptions of school leadership style, themselves, their job, and their clients. It was found that leadership style in the school was related to counselor's perceptions of themselves and their jobs, but not to their views of their clients or their own potency. Further, it was found that self-reported burnout was strongly related to counselors' perceptions and that self, job, and clients were all perceived more negatively as burnout increased.